Are We Dialing Down Nuclear Power at Precisely the Wrong Time?
Nuclear plants, which today provide 20 percent of U.S. electric power and 62 percent of U.S. carbon-free electric power, are disappearing – through closures and early retirement – at a faster rate than the EPA forecasted due to a variety of economic, regulatory and political factors, according to an article published by FTI Consulting Inc.
Compliance with the federal Clean Power Plan would require increased reliance on new natural gas, wind and solar capacity will need to be installed to replace the dwindling nuclear power capacity, resulting in higher electricity prices.
A study by FTI Consulting found that current nuclear capacity would need to be preserved for the CPP’s goals to be achieved without a significant rise in wholesale electric prices, especially in the Eastern Interconnection.
